ISSN: 2165-7548
+44 1223 790975
Geert Jan Dinant
Netherlands
Case Report
Diagnosing Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Challenge for General Practitioners and Cardiologists
Author(s): Robert TA Willemsen, Bas LJH Kietselaer, Ron Kusters, Frank Buntinx, Jan FC Glatz and Geert Jan Dinant
Robert TA Willemsen, Bas LJH Kietselaer, Ron Kusters, Frank Buntinx, Jan FC Glatz and Geert Jan Dinant
Three patients present with chest pain to their general practitioner. In all three cases, the patient is suspected of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In the first case, a coronary artery disease causing the complaints is ruled out since troponin levels remain within the normal range. In the second case, troponin is elevated due to non STelevated myocardial infarction. In the third case, troponin is elevated due to cardiac cell damage in severe pneumonia (i.e. cardiac damage is not caused by a coronary artery occlusion). In cardiology, diagnostic tools for ruling ACS in or out are becoming increasingly sensitive. In general practice, diagnostic means to discriminate between ACS and less severe causes of chest complaints remain poor. Both situations challenge physicians working in their respective fields. Cardiologists must deal with a decrease in testing specificity due to the increasin.. View More»
DOI:
10.4172/2165-7548.1000242